The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-08-11
A QUEER CREATURE.
COLD AND SHIVERING IN MIDSUnI.
MER--wARNI AS A FRITTER

| ROGET Tells of the Peculiarlties of His
Physical Nake-up--A Puzzle to All the
| Scientists.
WABASH, IND, July 24.-The people
of Wabash will not soon forget tho awful
heat Of last Saturday and Sunday, when
the brassy skies looked down upon the
white limestone which glowed in the hot
sunshine and sent up currents of heat, if
anything moro unbearable than the
burning rays that descended from above.
On the evening of that swcltering Snt-
urday your correspondent met being
so strange and out of harmony with his
surroundings that Il repetition of his
wonderful story cannot fail to interest
the reader, even though that reader may
take no thought of its scientific phase,
which, if it has n counterpart in the
whole world of experience, is unknown
to the writer. Just at dark, the writor,
as he was passing the Wabash depot,
trying in every possible way to keep
cool, noticed large-sized man standing
near the depot building, apparently just
arrived on an incoming train. He looked
like laboring man, and would not have
attracted attention anywhere except for
one thing: He was dressed in heavy win
ter clothing, such as no sane man would
have worn with the thermometer at 0G
degrees, as it was then. Was he an in
valid, whose blood was too thin and poor
to be affected by tho terrible heat, in
common with his fellows? He was too
vigorous and healthy-looking, and that
theory had to be abandoned. Was he a
ffor1 VIII H. i
hot weather suit? He did not look like
a, tramp; besides, he had on surplus
clothing, even to an overcoat that he
might have carried. He did not look
heated. On the other hand, he had
much the appearance of a man chilled
and suffering with the cold. His over
coat collar was turned up about his ears
ard his hands were thrust deep into his
pockets. Tho correspondent had not
watch him long until he grew curious
and concluded to investigate tho pho
nomcnon. He accordingly took posi-
ton near the stranger and remarked,
while he famed himself vigorously with
his straw hat: '"'ris warm Tonight. "
$50 they tell me-" replied the man in
broken English, with IL mixture of
French; '1 do not know"
"But you certainly do not have to be
told that it is hot tonight" said the cor
respondent, who was family suspicious
that the stranger was trying to "guy'
him. A closer inspection, however
showed him that the man was not suffer
ing from heat, warmly rs he was dressed
Tor there was not particle of perspira
tlon about him. 81 have not been warm
since last winter, except when / was by
q warm stove or in bed, said the strang-
er in serious tone that banished the
idea that he was joking.
"Mlne is strange cas e, ~ he continued.
"Would you care to hear it; it is not
long?"
81 should certainly like to hear the
history of man who is not warm
tonight, dressed as you arc in heavy
"oolens, SAID your correspondent.
'Well, then, L was born forty-two
years age this month in northern
province OF France, in Alaace, of peasant
parentage. There is nothing in my his
tory that is of interest, but there is
something in mo that has interested
many-a peculiarity that has puzzled
science, and is without parallel in the
whole world, SO far as 1 know or have
ever heard. The popularity Consists in
the fact that when others are warm | am
cold, and vice versa. | shiver with cold
under hot July sun, and sweltcr with
heat amid the SHOWS Of winter. My name
is Jean ROGET, and my father was n
laborer III brewery in Alsace, and had
large family, of which L was the
youngest, except one, sister, who was
born three years later. None of my
brothers or sisters possessed my pccll-
liarity. My mother first discovered that
L was not like other children when | wns
about one year and Il half old, before /
can myself remember. My parents and
the ncighbors were greatly puzzled at
the phenomena, but not moro SO than
were the scientific men who examined
me In later years. l was the wonder of
our, neig hborhood as | grew up, for
while other children in winter went
about i'll heavy woolens, and shivcrcd
with cold at that, [ played by the road
side wearing thin summer clothing, while
my body was flushed with heat and my
face suitused with perspiration. When
summer came again, and birds sang, and
the suns fierce rays beat upon the white
roads Of Alsacc, an my little companions
frolicked upon the green sward and
waded the brook, L cried with the cold
and sought warmth indoors. The seasons
were just reversed for me"
But Wncn you touched the i0e and
snow, were they not cold to you?" was
asked.
eyes, as they would be to you in the
summer time. The frozen ground, too.
was cold, but the icy atmosphere that
swept over it was sitting to mo as o
slrocco. What was most peculiar, per
haps, was the fact that the lower the
thermometer sank the warmer got, and
the higher it arose the colder it seemed
to me. To prove to you that it was not
imagination with me, feel of my hand "
said the stranger. The scribe touched
it. 1t was as cold as ice, and the mcrcu.
ry stood at 96 degrees.
"l lived in Alsacc until about ten Years
ago, when l came to this country to
work at my trade, that of a stone-cuttcr.
| lived in Jersey City until few DAYS
ago, when | started West. ] ON un-
married, and have nevershad sick day
in my lifo That is my history and, as
you sec, nncventful enough, except for
this popularity in my physical makeup,
which turns winter into summer and
Dalmy summer into dread winter"